Korea to allow 100 foreign domestic workers into Seoul

The Korean government will allow some 100 foreigners from Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines to work as domestic workers in Seoul this year under a pilot program designed to offer more affordable child-rearing services to young...

A baby fair promoting products and services related to pregnancy, childbirth and childcare took place at the Seoul Trade Exhibition & Convention in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on June 29. [YONHAP]

The Korean government will allow some 100 foreigners from Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines to work as domestic workers in Seoul this year under a pilot program designed to offer more affordable child-rearing services to young parents.

The program is being met with both approval and doubt from the parents. While some welcome the cheaper workforce to take care of their children, some doubt the workers' credibility due to their inability to ascertain how qualified they are for the position.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced a proposal for the pilot program and hosted an open forum to receive feedback from domestic workers and experts on Monday at Royal Hotel Seoul in central Seoul.

“There is increased demand to use foreign workers amid a rising aging population in the current market for domestic services,” Lee Sang-im, director of the foreign workforce at the Labor Ministry, said. “It can also be a solution to the declining birthrate and prevent career breaks for women.”

Currently, the realm of housekeeping and childcare services is dominated by workers in their 50s and 60s, according to the data from the Labor Ministry. Over 63 percent of the worker population is aged over 60, and 28.8 percent are aged over 50.

The total number of current domestic workers is also steadily falling, shrinking some 27 percent in three years to 114,000 in 2022.

Panels speak at the open forum hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor to receive opinions about implementing foreign domestic workers in Korea at the Royal Hotel Seoul in central Seoul on Monday. [NEWS1]

Workers will come from 16 countries, mainly in Southeast Asia, to work under the E-9 non-professional employment visa for at least six months. They are subject to receive the minimum wage under the law, but the ministry stresses that it will be much cheaper than the wage bar currently set in the market.

On average, domestic workers who commute to their employees’ homes are paid an hourly wage of 15,000 won ($11), higher than the minimum wage of 9,620 won. Stay-at-home workers are paid between 3.5 million won and 4.5 million won for households in Seoul.

Households eligible to apply for foreign workers are dual-income couples between their 20s and 40s, single parents and expecting mothers.

The government will screen the hopeful workers based on their work experience, expertise, age, language capabilities and criminal records.

Successful workers will be educated in the Korean language, culture, labor law and childcare before their arrival in Korea.

It is likely that the workers will be designated to agencies certified under the Labor Ministry and commute to their respective households. Workers’ accommodations will be arranged by their agencies, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government will inject 150 million won to help workers adjust to life in the country by supporting their initial costs in accommodation, transportation and translation.

The proposal is yet to be finalized and is subject to change, the ministry said, with the final plan to be outlined by September. After the pilot program begins this year, the government plans to adjust the policies next year based on feedback.

The remaining problem at hand is to what extent working moms and dads will actually use the service.

Some parents who participated in the forum were worried about service quality, or whether or not they could trust foreign workers whose backgrounds they cannot ascertain.

“Parents prefer workers in their 50s and 60s because of their experience and skills,” Kang Cho-mi, a working mom, said. “We’re unsure if migrant domestic workers can take good care of our children merely based on theories.”

Working dad Kim Jin-hwan, who is raising two children, stressed the importance of coming up with a proper training program to educate foreign workers for them to adjust to Korea.

“It’s crucial that they meet the criteria — whether their backgrounds can be trusted, cultural differences can be resolved, and they are willing to accept Korean ways of childrearing services,” he said. “I hope the program could entail a set of education measures for these newly arriving foreign workers so that parents can fully trust them.”

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]